Traditional (Yet Creative) Anniversary Gifts

The First Five Years

Hubs and I are about to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary. And, with that comes gifts. We’ve gotten pretty creative, yet stayed within the confines of traditional anniversary gifts, over the years.

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If you’ve purchased traditional anniversary gifts for your significant other, some family members, or friends, you’ve probably started by hunting down this useful chart:

And, while it’s a great resource, it leaves a lot of wiggle room to really pinpoint that perfect gift. That’s where creativity comes in. Here are my suggestions:

Year One: Paper

The first year of a marriage usually involves getting used to each other’s nuances. And, it may even be a time of financial struggle if you spent a lot on the wedding. (Want to skip that hefty price tag? Learn how in this post.) Which makes paper a practical, easy, and inexpensive gift to give.

For our first anniversary, Hubs got me a framed canvas. He was a little looser with the ‘paper’ suggestion.

I, on the other hand, got him tickets to his favorite amusement park (at the time, we hadn’t been to Disney yet). It was paper and resulted in a fun-filled day date away. Something we definitely needed.

Money (If you’re gifting to another couple. This is not a gift for your spouse.)

Year Two: Cotton

Our second year, we decided to combine our gift and purchase new bedding for ourselves from IKEA.

Other cotton suggestions include:

Silly t-shirts

A quilt, hand-embroidered with your wedding date

His and her towels or bathrobes

New pillows to go with that bedding

A keepsake locket that holds a swatch of her wedding dress

Year Three: Leather

Our third year, Hubs got me a leather-bound journal and wrote a poem inside. I got him a handmade, leather wallet with our last name stamped into the leather.

Other leather suggestions include:

Watches

Jewelry for her (leather earrings are all the rage)

Keychains stamped with your wedding date

Briefcase or purse

Planner with special dates and monthly date nights filled in

Year Four: Fruits/Flowers

For our fourth year, I’m giving Hubs a cherry tree. He had one at his childhood home and talks about it to this day. Unfortunately, since we’re still apartment dwellers, he’s actually getting a gift certificate for a cherry tree, that he can cash in when we finally buy a house.

I really couldn’t tell you what he’s getting me because our anniversary isn’t for a few more days. He keeps teasing that it will be an edible arrangement because that’s both fruit and flowers. All I have to say is “it better not be.”

And the only reason I told you his present is because I already spilled the beans to him. Whoops!

Other fruit and flower suggestions include:

Large foliage for your landscape: hydrangeas, shrubbery, trees

Gardening items paired with berry bushes

Picnic of charcuterie and wine paired with fruit

Trip to go apple/berry/vegetable picking

A bouquet replicated to look like her wedding flowers

Year Five: Wood

Well, dang it, I’m getting him a tree this year. Looks like I’ll have to come up with something a little more creative next year, like:

A keepsake box for treasures

Trip to the woods for camping

The makings of an awesome fire pit in your backyard

Hand-carved wooden art

Framed photo of your wedding day

Happy Anniversary!

Whatever you get, or gift, for your anniversary, remember that it’s really just about one day. The day you became spouses.

Relive those memories while you’re at it. Listen to your song, eat the same meal. Heck, bake a wedding cake – I replicate ours every year – which is easy because it was only a 6″, two-tier cake.